It may not be one of the animals we often write about here at The Great Projects, but we feel that all animals deserve their moment in the spotlight and these cute critters are no different!
Today marks International Raccoon Appreciation Day 2016, and the idea for the day came from a young girl in California who wanted to bring awareness to the benefits these much maligned animals bring to the ecosystem.
Raccoons are not fussy when it comes to food, and this is what makes them so important. They play a big role in keeping down the populations of pests including; slugs, snails, frogs, and bugs, and without the raccoon the populations of these animals could easily spiral out of control.
These masked marauders also help to disperse seeds throughout the country by eating various fruits and nuts and leaving the seed remains in an entirely different location. This has resulted in the growth of many different plants that would otherwise never have appeared!
Raccoons are often painted as the bad guys due to their inquisitive nature, but in reality they give Mother Nature a much needed hand. With their small superhero mask-like facial markings, you could almost say that they are the Robin to Mother Nature’s Batman!
To celebrate International Raccoon Appreciation Day, here is a video of a super raccoon mum coming to the rescue of her stranded baby!
